Mexicans are witnessing a disaster that has hit Balandra beach, one of the country’s most beautiful natural treasures.
The beach was closed due to a fuel leak caused by the fire of a recreational boat that could not be there according to national legislation.
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Authorities have sent dozens of officials to try to clean up the site, which has not only held the title of “protected area for flora and fauna” since 2012, but is also a World Heritage Site awarded by the UNESCO (United Nations Educational Foundation). and Cultural Organization).
Does the incident worry residents of the state of Baja California del Sur? Located in the northwest of the country, on the Baja California Peninsula, ? Thousands of tourists, who are attracted to the famous turquoise waters of the beaches every year, constitute an important source of income.
no victims
The leak, which has dyed the blue waters and white sands of at least three beaches in Balandra Park black, occurred on Saturday night (20/8) when a boat identified as Fortius caught fire.
According to local media reports, the eight tourists and four crew members traveling on the ship were unharmed.
The causes of the accident are not yet known. However, the sinking of the yacht, which is more than 24 meters long and about 6 meters wide, with diesel fuel in its tanks raises fears that the leakage will continue.
“The sunken ship must also be salvaged so as not to contaminate it further, although the Navy has already made a containment, [a mancha de combustível] “Don’t continue the spread,” said Víctor Castro Cosio, governor of Baja California del Sur after the incident.
In an initial statement, Balandra Conservation Area officials, the Federal Environmental Protection Prosecutor’s Office (Profepa), the Port Authority and the Secretary of the Navy acknowledged that the amount of fuel spilled was “significant”.
conflicting assessments
Days after the spill, authorities did not disclose the extent of the affected area or when cleanup work could be completed and whether this important tourist destination would reopen.
Despite all this, there are those who evaluate the performance of government officials positively.
“All the authorities acted right on time,” said Alberto Guillén of the Citizens’ Observers Network, one of the first civilian groups to arrive at the scene and assist in the evacuation of tourists.
Guillén, a marine biologist, estimates that in a few days the cleanup of the surface debris will be complete. However, he explained that this will not mean the reopening of Balandra.
“We have to assess the impact on the seabed,” he says, adding that on Wednesday (24/8) divers from the Autonomous University of Baja California raided the seabed to determine the extent of the damage caused by the spilled fuel. . . .
Even more critically, Miguel Rivas, director of marine protected areas for the Oceana organization, thought the accident revealed environmental legislation was a “dead letter”.
“Protected Area regulations do not allow motorboats to be found in the area, but this ship was there and incidentally at a time when visitors were not allowed,” the BBC’s Spanish service told BBC News Mundo.
The Balandra Flora and Fauna Preserve Management Program for the Protected Nature Area, launched in October 2015, prohibits “motor vehicle use” in the area.
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Rivas also described the statements of Governor Castro Cosio, who tried to acquit the owners, as “sad”.
The governor said, “This kind of event is unpredictable, it was a fire on a boat. I think the whole community understood that it was an accident. It may have happened to a car in the city and spilled gasoline.” said.
“What happened proves that our regulation was very good on paper, but not followed in practice. The lack of oversight and control allowed this to happen,” says the activist.
prevent new spills
But the activists agreed that if they disagree on other issues, the owners of the damaged yachts should be punished.
Rivas says, “Equivalent fines should be imposed on shipowners to repair the damage and avoid such situations in the future.”
Similar demands were heard in Congress. According to the news of the newspaper El Independiente, Deputy Eduardo Van Wormer Castro demanded the full weight of the law for those responsible for the disaster and the reorganization of the area.
Balandra is not only economically important due to its touristic value, but also of great environmental importance. Reason? It is a sanctuary for whales, dolphins and other marine species and includes three of Mexico’s four mangrove species.
– This text was published at https://www.bbc.com/portuguese/internacional-62693027.
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source: Noticias
